Celebrating 60 Something

What does it make you feel like when you can't complete a purchase until you select what percentage of a tip you want to leave?  How about when the card reader asks if you would like to donate to this or that?  Or, maybe round up your purchase to the next dollar?  It is so awkward to say "no" and I don't have a problem saying "yes" from time to time, but I have been asked the same question five different times in one afternoon, all for different charities!Believe it or not, I am a softy for giving a couple of dollars to someone standing on a street corner with a sign.  But when they pull out their cell phone and start texting.... nah... I am not going to contribute to that.And that is just part of the frustration!Surveys, government handouts, donations, junk mail, advertisements, digital answering services, the list goes on and on!  Join me on today's podcast, "Are You Kidding Me?" and see if you agree, or if you think I am just being snarky.   

We all have memories of Christmases past.  Maybe a Christmas when we received a new bike, or had special family time, or provided service to someone.  Remembering those Christmases can bring us warm, sweet feelings and we try to recreate those feelings for those we love, now.On this podcast we will read a story about going home with a college friend for the holidays, sneaking an early Christmas present while outsmarting Santa, and being an observer or someone's favorite Christmas gift.  Sit back and relax, or jump in your car and go for a Christmas story ride and remember your Christmases from long ago while listening to a few of mine.  Merry Christmas!  

Nothing brings "the feeling of Christmas" like a Christmas story.  This week on the podcast I share a little story from my husband from the year 1959.  It was the year that he learned Christmas was more about family than gifts.   Rick Lauber's story - A Christmas Present, Delayed - tells the story of a young man who finds that someone else's Christmas present becomes a gift for him.  And then there is  a surprise story that isn't about a particular family but shows how we are all brothers and sisters at heart.  And the last short story is about dads and daughters at Christmas time.  Get yourself a cup of cocoa, sit by the Christmas tree and enjoy!

Everyone loves Christmas stories!  Like sugar cookies and the smell of pine, Christmas stories help us feel that warm, fuzzy Christmas feeling.  2021 has been a tough year for a lot of people but some of the greatest stories come from the lessons learned when things were tough.  As I have said before, it is in the struggles of life that we learn the greatest lessons.Join me on today's podcast for a story of my own, a favorite from a listener, and one from a great story teller himself, Glenn Rawson.  Just to get us in that Christmas Spirit!

You have heard it said, friends are people who know you really well and like you anyway.  That is so true, especially in my cast.  I have had many wonderful groups of friends throughout my life, and so have you!  Friends are very important to me.  In fact, I don't think I would have made it raising five kids with a husband who traveled, if I didn't have a female shoulder to cry on or someone to sit with me at McDonalds, while our kids played.    I do have a couple of friends whom I hold a little closer to my heart, and we have been through a lot of "stuff" together, through the years!  I am positive one friend and I share the same brain.    My fabulous friends have been there through thick and thin, good and bad, my ups and downs.  They understand me when my husband doesn't get it, bless his heart, and they don't have to "fix it" whatever "it," is.  They just listen.    Friendships are fabulous and you can never have too many friends.  

Discovering who you are by learning about your ancestors can be fascinating!  It connects you to family members who have long ago, passed on.  Writing your story binds you to descendants who are yet to be born.   I believe there is a strong connection between us and our ancestors and between us and our posterity.  I do not want to be the "missing link," I want to be the link that holds the whole family chain together.  So how do you get started writing your life's story?  Knowing where to start or what to do can be daunting but it doesn't need to be.  You can go on any one of a hundred websites to begin your Family History journey, and get ideas and suggestions on writing your own story, but I think it is even much more simple than that.  I think you just begin writing.   Writing stories.  Stories from your life, and they don't even need to be in order.  As soon as you start writing things began coming back to you.  You will remember things you have not thought about in years!  Writing down some of those memories and rereading journal entries, and looking at old photos can be such a cathartic experience!  It can help you put things that happened and choices you made, into perspective, and it really helps to sort things out and show the meaning and purpose of your life.  Don't forget to write down what you thought, what you learned, and how you felt during those experiences.  This is where the lessons are learned and the person you really are, comes through.  Make sure your link in the family chain is solid and strong.   Your story matters!  You are a vital link in the family chain.  You never know how your story could bless someone else's life, a few more links down the chain, not to mention the treasure it will become to those who know and love you now.Check out today's podcast where we will talk about writing our personal history, the reasons why we should and the positive things it can bring about in your own lives.  

Heartbreak, unfortunately is a common part of the human experience, and it really, really sucks!  Heartbreak can cause a large amount of stress, especially if the loss is a sudden one, or we continue to feel the loss day after day.   Our brain registers the emotional pain of heartbreak in the same way as physical pain, which is why we might feel like our heartbreak is causing actual, physical hurt.But, there is another kind of broken heart, and unfortunately, this kind of broken heart is all too common in our society, and sometimes we don't take "heart disease" as seriously as we should.  That was me.  Yeah, OK, I am an intense person and I admit to being a perfectionist, as well, not to mention being a "fixer" for my family.  All that brings stress, but can stress really damage your heart?  Well, let me tell you...

Hair was a big thing in the 70's.  It was long and straight, at least in the early 70's.  Remember when young girls would iron their hair to make it even straighter?  According to several sources, men like long hair.  It is youthful and and soft.  Men also like high heels and dresses, too.  Why?  And does it matter?  There were not many older women with longer hair in the early 70's but that is the decade that things began to change.  So, what about now?  Can older women today wear longer hair and look good?  Well several celebrities like Jane Seymore and Christie Brinkley do but it comes down to a combination of a couple of different things.  And what about heels?  Should a woman in her 60's or 70's be toddering around in heels or even stiletto's?  When we retire should we also retire the longer hair and the heels?  And, what about going gray?  Is there a "point" when women should not longer be "faking it"?Join me on this weeks podcast to learn the answers from the experts, and, like it or not I will offer my opinion.

What do you know about Forget-Me-Nots?  That tiny little bluish-purple flower has several legends attached to it, but basically they are called forget-me-nots because they are so small and it is easy to forget about them.  They are a shy flower if you will, overlooked and not remembered… unless they get out of hand!We don't want people to forget about us, right?  We want to be remembered so we can be invited to all the fun things going on around us.  We want to be included when others are making exciting plans.  We want to be noticed, and remembered because we made a good impression.  Or, is that even important at this stage of the game, especially if we are no longer working in the business world?   Heck yeah, it's important!  We want to be right there in the middle of things because being sixty-something is a great time of life full of things to do, places to go, and people to spend time with!  “Hey, don't forget me!!”So how do we go about “being remembered” and not “forgotten?”  Well, there is an art to being remembered.  It is simple, easy to do, puts others at easy, and you probably already know all about.  So, on this podcast we will just reemphasize what we already know.  Forget-Me-Not, The Art of Being Remembered.

If you liked the last Celebrating 60 Something podcast, you are going to love this one!  More time and money saving ideas for traveling, from the Two Traveling Tipsters, Julia and Robbie.  Being sixty-something shouldn't just mean being "tired" and "retired,"  it should be about celebrating the life you have lived, and the fun and exciting life you continue to live!  Travel is a big part of life for many people in their sixties, and it can be for you, too.  We have some more great tips in this, our second podcast of travel tips, from  The Two Traveling Tipsters!Listen to find out why you should bring duct tape on every travel adventure.  What can you tuck into your travel bag to help you if you feel a little "off" during your flight?  Why is it important to bring along a small zippered pillowcase and how many pairs of shoes do you really need to take?  We have the answers!  Covid-19 restrictions are being lifted so start planning that dream vacation now!

One of the great things about being sixty-something is that we have more freedom to travel.  Although being retired might mean living on a fixed income, if you plan carefully you can experience that dream vacation without it costing "an arm and a leg!" There are great ways to save money, and still have a fabulous trip!  And when you travel with friends, you can share many of the expenses making your cost even less!Julia and Robbie have had a lot of great travel adventures together.  They have also traveled with other friends, for work, and sometimes, even with their husbands, and they have learned a lot!  They have been to many places in the US, Puerto Rico, South America, The Caribbean, Southeast Asia, the South Pacific, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.   Some travel was for work but most of it was for fun!  Well, let's be real, all of it was for fun!  Work or not. They have garnered a plethora of travel tips along the way and these two traveling tipsters are anxious to share what they have learned!  For instance, wouldn't you like to know why it is important to specify your reason for a trip, and what your expectations are?  Do you want to know which sites are best for booking air travel?  Should you stay in an AirBnB or is a hotel better?  What about trip insurance, is it necessary, or not really?   This, and so much more is on this week's podcast, The Two Traveling Tipsters!Spoiler alert!  The two traveling tipsters have so much to share that they have split their talk time into two, podcasts!  You won't want to miss Two Traveling Tipsters, Part 2, either!

Every day in this country an estimated 221 people die from a drug overdose, and another 6,748 are treated in emergency rooms.  Drug overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, outstripping traffic fatalities and gun homicides.  And every year it gets worse.  Amber experienced every mother's worst nightmare when her daughter, Kenzie, died from a heroin overdose the day after Christmas in 2013.  Overcome with depression Amber spent most of her time in bed until one day when everything changed.  Amber has become a tireless advocate for addiction education and raising awareness that overdose deaths are preventable. From her greatest loss came her deepest passion.  

Mary Robinson is the mother of two children and grandmother to seven grandchildren.  She and her husband Mark have been married for 47 years and live in Southern Utah.At the age of sixty Mary decided to go back to school and finish her degree in Communications.  She graduated at age 63, Suma Cum Laude, no less, from Utah Valley University, and it was during her school journey, that Mary developed the desire to become a life-long learner. She developed a plan and chose, at that time, to learn all she could about Islam.  She has read over sixty books on the subject and has come to love and respect the people who follow Mohamad.  She has visited Egypt, Jordan, Israel and Palestine in her quest to know and understand the people and their devotion to Islam.  Mary is devoted to learning throughout her life, and although Islam may not be on the front burner right now, she continues to study and grow. She has been the Chair of several boards and served on many prestigious committees. She says women in their sixties most definitely can go back to school and not only keep up, but do better than the general student population, because they have had rich life experiences and are not worried about dating, roommates and all the other things that occupy the minds of 20 somethings.  Mary tells listeners to just “Go for it!”

Things as they happened in the past, and things as they are now, are facts.  They are not good or bad, they are just neutral.  They are facts.  But the thoughts we have about these facts are what cause us pain in our lives.  We give meaning to those facts according to the thoughts we have about them.  And our thoughts control our feelings and our feelings control our actions.  So learning how to control our thoughts actually allows us to feel better, and act better.  Now who doesn't want to know how to do that?I am so excited to have Kami Satterlee, a certified life coach working on her master certification under the famed life coach, Jody Moore, with me on this podcast!  Besides being an amazing life coach, she is an amazing wife and a busy mom to four rambunctious kids.  She is smart, talented, funny, compassionate, and very driven, and might I add, my beautiful daughter! 

Do you have a dream?  Maybe it's a dream you have had for a long time or, maybe it is a new dream.  A dream can be anything!  Because we are women, we are caregivers by nature.  We always take care of those around us and sometimes our own dreams go unfilled.  Well, pull that dream out of the drawer!  Life is a cup to be filled right up until the very last minute! I hope we will all look back on our lives seeing dreams that were fulfilled and goals that were accomplished.  I hope we look back with joy and not regret.  Finish college, write a book run a 5K, learn to watercolor, hike Kilimanjaro, get healthy, lose that weight, travel to Paris, start a business or maybe even do a podcast!Where there is a will there is a way.  So have a dream in your heart, a plan in your head and a hop in your step.  You are still fulfilling your dreams!

Today's topic is so important but, just hearing the word will make some of you moan and groan.  So, we will replace "that word" with another word... activity!  The word "activity," as defined on the internet, means the situation in which a lot of things are happening, or people are moving around.  Well, that could mean anything, right?  Which is exactly the point.  ANY "activity" counts as exercise!  So grab your partner and go dancing, or bring a friend and learn to play pickleball, paddle a canoe, go for a walk, hike, bike ride, or play a round of golf.  "Activity" is important for everyone but especially for older people.  And while no amount of physical activity can stop the biological clock, there is strong evidence that regular exercise,  I mean "activity," can increase active life expectancy by limiting the development and progression of chronic disease and disabling conditions.  Those are big rewards!The word "retire" or "retirement" means withdrawn from or no longer occupied with one's business or profession.  Great!  So we don't have to work any more unless we want to, but we can still play! So get out there and get moving!

Being a mother was one of the best decisions I ever made.  Raising children has brought me so much joy in life.  but, it has also brought me guilt by the boatload!  It is impossible to raise another human being without screwing it up in monumental ways, even when we are trying and that makes us feel... guilty.  So, come along with me on my "guilt trip" today,  I am definitely qualified to be your tour guide!   But, we are not going to be packing around a lot of guilt, we are going to be repacking our luggage, getting rid of all that guilt and discovering that we were all actually good mothers!

I love hats!  Not a baseball hat you put on when your hair is dirty and you have errands to run, or the beanie you pull on to watch the grandkids play soccer or t-ball when it's cold.  I have plenty of those hats and I love them, too.  But I am talking about dressy hats, fun hats, felt hats to wear with a cute winter outfit or a woven hat to wear with a bright spring dress.  I love them.  I own them.  But I don't wear them.   You have to have a certain confidence to wear a hat.  A swagger maybe?  But really?  Should the wearing of a hat be a daring act of courage?  It shouldn't be, but it is!Millinery, or the making of hats, goes way back.  There is a lot of interesting history there, and even sacrifice, and I just figure that with so much sacrifice coming from the history of hats, the least we could do, is wear them!  Hat Day is January 15.  Who knows.... I may get up enough courage to wear one!

Grandma's don't need to be disciplinarians, enforcers, or watchdogs.  They just need to be full of love and... fun!  Who wouldn't want to go to Grandma's house if they knew there  would be a pudding bath or a popcorn scramble?  And sleepovers are always the best at Grandma's house, too!  Especially if you have your own "sheet tent!"  Join us on "Fun Times with Grandma" as Grandma Robbie, grandmother to 12 lucky grandkids, tells us of the fun things she does when the grandkids come to visit, or at holiday time, or at a family campout! You won't want to miss this episode! 

This is our second episode of Christmas stories.  Those of us who remember when Christmas was much simpler, appreciate feel-good stories that take us back to those simpler times.  Being sixty-something years old has blessed us with sixty-something years of celebrating Christmas, and some things, like enjoying a "feel good" Christmas story, never change. "It was Christmas Eve 1942.  I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world had caved in on me because there just hadn't been enough money to buy me the rifle that I'd wanted for Christmas...."  Listen while we read a story written by Harvey Patterson from the Christian Ministry of Bellmead, TX.We will also read a short Christmas story called "The Man Who Missed Christmas by J. Edgar Park.  Imaging being locked in a vault and missing Christmas!  That is exactly what happens to George Mason in this quick little tale about "the purpose of life."

Everyone loves Christmas stories, they warm your heart and make you feel good.  But, I think those of us in our sixties love them just a bit more than most because we grew up in that magical era of the 50's, 60's.  So many new Christmas songs were introduced during those years and so many new toys were created!  You don't have to be old, or retired, to remember "Barbie" the teenage model doll, because even though she was introduced in 1959 she is still around today! Those were wonderful years to be a young child anticipating Christmas.  Christmas stories make us remember those feelings all over again.  One of our stories today was submitted by Laurie from Rexburg Idaho.  The other was written by John L. Meisenbach and you have probably heard it before as it has been around for a few years.  So sit back, relax, remember, and resolve to make this Christmas full of wonder and magic!

Loneliness isn't reserved for the older generation but it does seem to affect them more than most.  We all enjoy "alone time," our solitude, our own space.  But being alone and loneliness are not the same thing.  Loneliness is unpleasant.  It can bring about feelings of sadness.  It is hard to focus when you are lonely, and it can cause depression, and unhappiness.  It boils down to thins... people need people.  Especially during the winter months, and holiday season.  The circumstances for many people who are sixty-something, maybe retired, maybe single, are sometimes a perfect petri dish for cultivating loneliness.  The trick it to not let it take over your life.  Listen to "Wintertime, Christmas and Loneliness" and learn what you can do to enjoy the holidays avoid being lonely.  

I have been an avid pantyhose wearing woman for many, many years.  But today, women my age do not wear pantyhose.  They have bare legs, as do younger women who also have even skin tones, no varicose veins, and they don't bruise easily.  They have legs that aren't dimpled or scarred, or fat or boney.  But I'm sixty-something and I'm not confident with bare legs.  And now I am not confident in pantyhose either!  Then there are leggings.  Should older women even wear leggings?  If we do, are we trying too hard?  If we don't, are we being old fashioned and frumpy?  Are there rules for women of "a certain age?"  And what about jeggings?  Does anyone even know what they are?  No boring retirement and Medicaid questions answered here but you will find out the latest bits and tips about Pantyhose, Leggings and Jeggings.  Oh My!   

It is often easy to be grateful for the “big blessings" in our lives; home, family, food, enough of what we need, friends, good health, a job, etc.   It is also easy to be grateful after a crisis.  But what about the little things?It is easy to remember the negative things that happen in a day, like the guy who pulls in front of us and cuts us off in traffic.  And, we are often quick to share that story with others.  But, what about the occasional driver who let's us pull in front of him?  Do we remember that even five minutes after it happens?  What do you think might happen to our attitude if, at the end of the day, we wrote in a little notebook, a gratitude journal… ”I am thankful for kind people, like the guy who let me pull in front of him in traffic today.”   Over time, reflecting on the positive "little things" that happen in a day, can change our attitude, and even who we are.  

Although she is sixty-something, Patty Liston, who throws her heart and soul into everything she does, is making a difference!  A big difference. In Ghana, no less!She and her husband Roger, felt a "call" to do something to help young boys, and lift them out of the cycle of poverty, broken families and hopelessness.  So, they started a school, from the ground up and with no money, where their young students learn how to repair motorcycles.  But it is so much more than that!  Listen to the podcast "Sixty-something and Making a Difference" and learn how it all came about.  Then hopefully you too, can find your passion and "do what makes your heart sing!"

Anxiety, defined by Google is "worry, stress and fear."  These emotions are all "futuristic" meaning we feel them by having thoughts about the future.  They are created by our thoughts and are unnecessary, as we have no control over what might be... the future!  Feeling fearful, anxious and stressed is actually feeling, for no reason, the feelings you would feel, IF what you are worrying about, actually happened."  Why not wait until it happens, IF it actually happens.  When we control our thoughts, we control our own fear, stress and anxiety.

Inheritance and legacy, two words many people often interchange.  But should they?  What do they mean and how are they different? Inheritance is generally used when referring to monetary or material goods being handed down from one person to another, like your grandmother's wedding ring.  But a legacy is different from an inheritance and actually has more than one meaning.  But, the one we will talk about on today's podcast is the one that refers to how a person will be remembered by others.  Remembered... that is an important word.  What are you doing to be remembered?

Being "Sixty-Something" gives us a lot of reasons to celebrate!  We have laughed, rejoiced, loved, danced and had so much happiness during our lives but, we have also overcome the difficult things, worked hard, sacrificed and endued... and we did it!  We have lived more than half-a-century, and then some!  But life isn't over yet!  We still have a lot to celebrate no matter our circumstances.  The things that helped get us this far, can continue to help us move forward, help us accomplish our dreams, and choose to be happy, now.  Some things are better now, and somethings are worse, but we have had a lot of experience in navigating life, so we can continue to make our lives fun, exciting, and happy whatever circumstances we find ourselves in!